Collelongo

Collelongo extends into the central part of the Longa Valley, testifying to the very ancient origins of the city there are archaeological finds. The urban layout is typical of the villages at the bottom of the valley; guarding the city is the tower of the baronial palace which was severed after the terrible earthquake of 1915. The square is adorned by the municipal villa with the fountain 'Villa Bella' in the center. Nearby there is the old fountain dating back to the nineteenth century, decorated with masks. The church of Santa Maria Nuova has a fourteenth-century style, inside it preserves works of luster such as the 1692 stone statue of Sant'Antonio and the wooden statue of San Rocco from 1850. The name Collelongo appears for the first time in the abbey of Cassino in 1883 to indicate the ancient church of the Madonna a Monte. Palazzo Botticelli from the 17th century, houses the archaeological civic museum of the finds found in the area, the municipal library and the theater. From the museum of Palazzo Botticelli an open-air path winds through the alleys with jets used for peasant activity, the house of the time, for example, preserves costumes and objects from the late nineteenth century. The city also has an open-air theater decorated with murals by the painter Fabio Rieti. The most important event is the feast of Sant'Antonio Abate which takes place between the night of 15 and 17 January; the event is consumed in the characteristic houses where the cotton soup is served. During the party in the streets ancient songs are sung, at dusk torches are lit with the task of warming the faithful during the night. During the procession they are brought to parade on the head of the dresses decorated by girls dressed in traditional clothes. At the end of the party, mass is celebrated during the night, at dawn the most beautiful basin is chosen and the new basins are given to decorate for the following year. The party ends on the afternoon of the 17th with the blessing of the animals.